Survivor
by Ninjalara
Summary: People from various dimensions gather for the next upcoming Battle Nexus Tournament. However they’re all in for a horrible surprise when they find out the rules have changed. Crossover. Chapter 3 up!
1. Invitation

Author's Notes: First of all, this fic is rated M for extreme violence and maybe some swearing. Also this fic is one massive crossover. It will feature characters from Naruto, and Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9 and 10. The concept of the plot is from the Japanese movie, Battle Royale. If you haven't seen that movie, then, heh, you're in for a bit of a surprise:P To make things even more confusing, I'm also mixing in together several universes of the TMNT, however it is predominantly based in the Fox Box version (I won't tell you as of yet what versions are to be included).

For the TMNT, it is set when the turtles are 18 years of age. In Naruto, it is set just after the chuunin exam arc. Final Fantasy VII is set some time after Disc 1, Final Fantasy VIII is set anytime, Final Fantasy IX is set after the end of the game, while Final Fantasy X is set at any time. Let the confusion and chaos begin!

Disclaimer: I do not ANY characters. Naruto is authored by Misashi Kishimoto. All the Final Fantasy series are owned by Squaresoft. Battle Royale was directed by Kinji Fukasaku. TMNT is owned by Eastman and Laird.

**Survivor**

Chapter One: Invitation

_Dimension Third Earth._

"Look at my guns!" Michelangelo touted while he strolled around the ninjitsu training room, flexing his biceps in front of his brothers. Raphael scoffed, clearly unimpressed while Don and Leo simply rolled their eyes.

"Those bumps! You've got nuttin'," Raph retorted.

"Why must everyone insist on calling muscles 'guns' these days?" Donatello pondered. His query went unanswered as Mike and Raph were quickly sizing each other up.

"Now _these_…" Raphael flexed his biceps. "Are rocks!"

"No way! I'm bigger!" The two turtles swiftly stood side by side, lining up their flexed biceps against each other for a comparative analysis.

"Don? Where's a measuring tape?" Raph questioned, not wanting to lose to Mike. Donatello groaned, wondering when their sibling rivalry was going to cease. The pair had become extra competitive against each other ever since they had found out that it was almost time for another Battle Nexus tournament. It had been almost three years since Mike had been declared the champion, and Raph wanted to make sure that that didn't happen ever again.

"Cut it out you two! You're supposed to be practicing," Leonardo ended their fun.

"Aw come on, Leo. It's just a little fun," Mike said.

"Yeah, well it won't be fun if we get knocked out in the first round," Leo commented.

"That won't happen. We don't all fight like Donny," Raph joked at his brother's expense. Donatello frowned and glared at the red-wearing turtle.

"I'll go get the stupid measuring tape," Don muttered sourly as he left the room.

Before Leo could open his mouth to complain to Raph about how he had offended Don, the red-wearing turtle conveniently changed the subject. "So do you know if Splin'er's gonna participate?"

"He's still meditating on it," Leonardo answered.

"He has been in his room a long time…" Mike noticed. Without saying anything more, he watched as Leonardo slowly exited the training area, obviously wanting to check up on his mammalian father.

"Master Splinter?" Leo inquired as he tapped the back of his hand against the bedroom door.

"Come in, Leonardo," a kind, warm voice could be heard. The turtle carefully turned the doorknob and slowly entered his father's private quarters; bowing in respect as soon as he laid eyes on the wise, old rat.

"I was getting worried… You've been in here a long time. Is everything alright?" Leonardo wondered. His voice was laced with concern.

"I've been meditating. That's all," Splinter softly answered.

"About the upcoming Battle Nexus Tournament?"

"Yes," Splinter said simply. Leonardo wasn't satisfied with his father's answer. Usually when the rat meditated, he would seem brighter and more relaxed after the activity. Yet things were different this time. Splinter's eyes weren't locked onto his, and were instead intently focused on the floor. His shoulders were slumped over, his whiskers falling forwards, while his tail seemed to lay across the floor as though it was lifeless, not twitching like it usually did. Splinter looked utterly exhausted, causing Leonardo to suspect that there was something incredibly serious on his mentor's mind.

"Is something bad going to happen?" Leo dared to question.

"I'm afraid so," Splinter whispered. The ninjitsu master motioned for the eighteen-year-old to sit down beside him. Leonardo quickly obeyed, rather concerned with what the rat was about to say. "I've been focusing all of my energy on the upcoming tournament, and I keep experiencing an intense feeling of grief, betrayal and pain. I don't know why, and I've been trying to figure out what it could all mean. But I can't shake this bad feeling," Splinter explained.

"Is it Drako?" Leo worriedly asked.

"No. It's something else…" Splinter fearfully sensed.

"Well… maybe this isn't a prediction. Maybe you're just remembering what happened last time," Leonardo offered a solution.

"Possibly. But I'm not convinced," Splinter muttered.

"Would you still like us to participate?" Leo asked, just in case the rat had changed his mind.

"Of course. I couldn't deny my sons of that right. But I think it might be best if I simply watched this time," Splinter said with a faint smile. Leonardo gave him a small nod of understanding. Splinter had aged considerably over the past few years, yet while he could still fight, he definitely wasn't as nimble as he used to be.

"So when do we leave?"

"Soon enough," Splinter gave the turtle another smile, admiring his son's eagerness. A loud voice could be heard throughout the entire lair.

"Half an inch!" Raph belted out those words. "My biceps are half an inch larger than yours!"

"Yeah!? Well, the size of your muscles doesn't matter in battle anyway!" Mike was quick to defend himself. Leonardo groaned, knowing that the bickering had only just started. Splinter couldn't help but chuckle.

"Then what does?" Raphael cockily questioned.

"Fitness!" Mike blurted out.

"And how are you gonna test that!?"

"Skipping." Donatello's suggestion sounded sarcastic, but Raph and Mike must have taken it seriously.

"Fine! We'll see who can skip the longest with a jump rope! Don, go grab a stop watch," Raphael demanded. Leonardo could hear Donatello's groan all the way from Splinter's bedroom.

"Are you sure we can't just leave now?" Leonardo asked Splinter with a smirk.

"Kids," Splinter muttered with a small sigh.

* * *

_Dimension Shinonoba_

The room was filled with anxious young ninjas, all of them eager to hear the announcement. A lot had happened to Konoha, their village, over the past few weeks. Their community had been attacked and chaos had erupted. Respected warriors had been lost, while the village had been so badly damaged that most of the buildings lay in ruins. Some houses were yet to collapse, as they had just enough of a foundation to stand, but the stress of their gaping brick wounds would eventually take over. All the surviving ninjas had been extremely busy, frantically undertaking the challenging task of bringing Konoha back to its former glory.

That's what the gathering Chunins and Genins thought the meeting would be about. They stared towards the front of the room where a Jonin named Hatake Kakashi stood patiently, reading a book, awaiting silence. Those who didn't know Kakashi thought of him as being mysterious. His mouth and nose was always covered, while his headband – displaying Konoha's Leaf symbol – slanted downwards to cover one of his eyes. Apparently it was a rare occurrence to see him lift his headband and view his hidden eye, and even then, enemies were said to die soon afterwards.

"Stop reading your book and tell us what's going on here!"

Kakashi looked up, already knowing who had made the loud, insolent outburst. Sure enough, it was Naruto. Kakashi, who was normally his teacher, quietly smiled at the boy from under his face mask. With his passionate blue eyes, blond hair and orange outfit, Naruto, the notorious class clown, always stood out from the rest of the ninjas. Scanning his eye across the rest of the waiting people, Kakashi could tell that the others were wondering the same thing.

"You have been gathered here because you have all been invited to participate in a tournament," Kakashi started to explain.

"What type of tournament?" Uchiha Sasuke asked. He was leaning nonchalantly against the wall, arms crossed, face serious as always.

"It is known as the Battle Nexus tournament." As soon as he announced the name, Kakashi noticed a glint of recognition in another one of his student's eyes. "I assume you have heard of this in your studies, Sakura?" Kakashi asked the girl. Sakura gave him a nod.

"It is a cross-dimensional competition held every three years. However chakra-related moves are no longer allowed to be used; only close combat weapons and physical abilities. It is a friendly match, where, if a lethal blow is conducted, the fight is immediately ended before any long-term harm can be done. Ninjas from Konoha used to be declared the Battle Nexus Champion all the time, but that was until our dimension was excluded from the tournament. It was declared that our fighting style was unfair to non-chakra using combatants from other worlds, and that was when the rules were changed to being physical and weapon attacks only," Sakura confidently reported.

"That's correct."

"So why have we been invited to this year's tournament?" Sakura questioned her superior.

"We don't know," Kakashi murmured.

"Is this tournament compulsory?" Shikamaru whined. It didn't surprise Kakashi that he was the fist to complain. In reality he was a very smart and tactical ninja, but Shikamaru's downfall was his own laziness and lack of initiative.

"No. This is optional. Usually only Jonins are allowed to enter this tournament, but since we are too busy rebuilding the village, we decided that we would offer the option to any interested Chunins and Genins. It is entirely optional, and if you want to remain in Konoha, then you are entitled to that choice," Kakashi explained.

"If we go, what's in it for us?" Sasuke questioned, still seeming disinterested.

"The experience. For those who want to become stronger, then this will be good practice. In times like these, we encourage everyone to continue in honing their skills," Kakashi answered, knowing that his words about power and strength would appeal to Sasuke. "If you want to participate in the Battle Nexus Tournament, then step forward now. I will be your chaperone and we will be leaving immediately," Kakashi announced.

"Yeah!" Naruto couldn't control his excitement. He leaped forward and punched the air twice with his fists. "Time to kick some serious ass!" Naruto boasted with a huge grin on his face. The others in the room muttered under their breaths about how he was such a moron. Sakura stepped forward next, feeling as though she had something to prove. Sasuke obliged soon afterwards. Seeing that her old friend, Sakura, and old crush, Sasuke were entering, Ino, a young and attractive ninja, decided to step forward as well.

"Aren't you coming!?" Ino harshly questioned her two cowardly and lazy teammates, Shikamaru and Choji. Both lethargically shook their heads, causing the girl to sigh out of annoyance. Liking the opportunity to test their skills, Neji, Tenten and Shino also moved towards the front of the room.

"Anyone else?" Kakashi gave his final call.

A nervous girl known as Hinata shifted indecisively in the back corner. One of her hands anxiously covered and toyed with her lips, while her gray eyes worriedly stared at the wooden floorboards. She didn't want to go into a tournament with her relative, Neji. There had been some tension between their families, and the last time she had the opportunity to fight against Neji, he mercilessly beat her. Yet upon seeing Naruto's pure enthusiasm, Hinata knew she had to give it a try. At the very least, she wanted to cheer Naruto on. The boy was an inspiration her, which was why she had crush on him. Still timid but sure in her own mind, Hinata was the last to step forward.

"Let's go," Kakashi said. He swiftly spun around and walked to the middle of one wall, where some ink markings and symbols had been previously drawn. As though he was performing a fighting move, Kakashi began to mysteriously chant. The students stared in wonderment as a bright, liquid-like portal appeared in the midst of the wall's markings. Curious, and some without fear, one by one they all followed Kakashi through the portal to the Battle Nexus.

* * *

_Dimension Final Quadrant Eight_

"I have brought you here today to offer you a new mission," Cid immediately got to purpose of their meeting. He had called for Squall, Zell, Selphie, Irivine and Quistis to meet him in his office at Balamb Garden – a training facility that produced the finest mercenaries known simply as SeeDs. The group watched as the older man paced around the room, before finally turning towards them, hands in his pockets, ready to deliver the rest of the news. "Every three years a Battle Nexus Tournament is held. We always enter the best and most versatile group of SeeDs that we have available. This time you have been selected. Congratulations. This is a privilege. Not only will you represent the Garden, but also our entire dimension," Cid explained.

"So we're all going?" Zell asked. Cid could easily see the excitement in his eyes.

"Unfortunately I'm going to have to ask Quistis to stay. She's needed elsewhere in the Garden," Cid announced. Quistis, the oldest member of the group, quickly nodded in understanding. As an instructor, it wasn't unusual for her to be allocated separate jobs from the others.

"Yes Sir," Quistis agreed.

"You'll be leaving for the Battle Nexus immediately," Cid addressed the rest of the group. They all silently watched as the man pulled a small, neatly rolled up piece of paper out of his pocket. "Enclosed are the instructions that need to be followed in order to open the gateway to the Battle Nexus. You may follow those procedures in the Training Center."

As the leader of the group, Squall silently stepped forward and took the miniature scroll out of Cid's extended hand. No further questions were asked.

"Good luck. You are dismissed," Cid concluded. The group gave a quick bow of understanding before they all left the office.

* * *

_Dimension Final Quadrant Nine._

A clanking metallic noise could be heard throughout the town square of Alexandria. Wearing a full suit of partially rusted armor, a stocky man called Steiner performed his rounds, making sure that the castle and surrounding township was secure. He stopped walking when he noticed a familiar face. It was Freya.

Freya was a slender, female, upright rat-like creature; a race that originated from two civilisations known as Cleyra and Burmecia, with the latter being the town more focused on combat and war. Since Freya had grown up in Burmecia, she was a skilled fighter, especially when it came to wielding a lance. As Steiner approached the female rat, he noticed that her attention was focused on a single sheet of paper pinned to a nearby wooden door.

"Battle Nexus Tournament?" Steiner read out loud as he peeked over Freya's shoulder. "Who put that there?" he then questioned, finding the sudden appearance of the notice as being rather mysterious.

"I'm not sure," Freya murmured. "But I've heard of this competition. It's on every few years. It's said that Burmecians used to compete in it all the time," Freya explained.

"Are you thinking of competing as well?"

Steiner and Freya turned around only to find Amarant. He was a tall, slightly hunched loner, who once had criminal record. Having long, striking red dreadlocks that covered most of his face, it was easy for someone to feel somewhat intimidated around Amarant. But both Steiner and Freya were familiar with him, as they had all traveled together around the world.

"Did you sign up?" Freya questioned Amarant.

"Got nothing better to do," Amarant grunted back.

"I might go. But I think I'll just sit and watch in the audience," Freya said.

"You're losing your touch," Amarant criticised. Freya frowned, peeved by his words. Steiner's rusty armor squeaked as he looked back and forth between the two, before his gaze finally rested back on the notice.

"It says that you should leave for the Battle Nexus as soon as possible…" Steiner noted, reading from the mysterious message.

Without saying anything else, Freya casually moved towards the nearest gray-stoned brick wall. Using a piece of chalk, she swiftly drew the lines and symbols, carefully following what the instructions outlined in the notice. After quickly returning to the letter to memorise the short chant, Freya closed her eyes and performed it for real. Steiner jumped back out of shock when a portal was created within the wall. Neither Freya nor Amarant flinched at the sight. "You coming?" Freya coolly asked Amarant. Not saying another word, Freya moved through the portal. Amarant followed close behind.

Steiner remained in the town square, rather baffled by everything that had happened. He spun around when he could hear some fast-moving heavy footsteps. "Yummy-yummies!" Quina screamed. Quina had always been viewed as an odd character. It came from a rather simplistic race that was solely obsessed with delicious foods. Being quite wide around its girth, Quina waddled as fast as it could, before hungrily leaping through the open portal at the last second before it closed. Steiner stared blankly at what was once again the brick wall. Either Quina wanted to go to another world so it could experience the native foods… or Quina thought that the portal was something it could eat, and accidentally passed through it. Steiner shook his head, still baffled.

* * *

_Dimension Final Quadrant Seven._

Barret angrily paced around the gloomily lit room, frustratingly stomping his feet against the hideous and tacky checkered floor. They had been there at the Gold Saucer for hours. The Gold Saucer was the world's first and only amusement park and casino. Most of the various sections within the park were a rip off, except the area known as Battle Square. At Battle Square, visitors had the option of competing in tournaments, where they would verse monsters of increasing difficulty. Along the way, they would earn battle points, which were redeemable at the front counter for various prizes. However, there was a catch; if they left the area, then they would lose all of their battle points. Hence, to earn anything, they had to fight in back to back tournaments without much of a break in-between.

"This is so stupid!" Barret hissed, barely controlling his anger. He was a buff, dark-skinned man, who had a gun for an arm, as he had lost his limb in battle years ago.

"We need that W-Summon Materia," Yuffie told him, her spirits remaining high. Materia was a substance, usually sold as small stones, which could supply the user with certain elemental or beneficial powers. Due to its properties, Yuffie enjoyed using and hoarding Materia, and being a ninja, she used to have habit of stealing it from passing strangers.

"We just need sixty-four thousand battle points," Tifa murmured; the only other female member of the group.

"And how many have we got now?" Barret demanded to know.

"Eight thousand," Nanaki, a rare, red lion-like creature answered. Barret visibly shook out of frustration. Everyone watched him, expecting a loud outburst to come from him soon.

"Roll up! Roll up! A new tournament is about to start!" a sleazy carnival operator announced.

"Shut up!" Barret groaned, not wanting to hear it.

"This is a special tournament!" the staff member continued to advertise.

"What makes it so special?" Cid asked. Like Barret, he was also getting close to losing his temper.

"This is the Battle Nexus Tournament! Fight warriors from another dimension! This opportunity only comes 'round every three years!"

"What's in it for us?" Cid yelled his question out over the droning, continuous theme song of the park that was playing in the background.

"Hey, if you win this one, then I'll just give you that Materia," the man said with a sly smile.

"Must be pretty tough," Vincent, a shady, pale-faced man said.

"I should opt out of this one. I didn't fair too well in the other tournaments. 'Sides, I've got some friends I want to meet around Gold Saucer," Cait Sith excused himself.

"Should we go?" Tifa asked her childhood friend, Cloud. Cloud Strife was considered to be the leader of the group. He was a well-built young man with pointy blond hair, who claimed to have worked in the past with the military. Unlike Yuffie, Cloud was never one to show enthusiasm, or much of any other emotion really. He was just quiet and sullen, who barely ever said many words.

"Sign us up," Cloud flatly agreed.

_To be continued… _

Author's Notes: Understandably, those of you who aren't familiar with these other fandoms, may be a bit overwhelmed at the moment with all these new characters. For the moment, don't worry, as I will flesh them out when the time comes so that you can understand. Later on I will also supply a list stating exactly who is in the tournament and what fandom they are from. The main purpose of this chapter was to _briefly_ introduce some of the characters and give some reason as to why they are all there, and why some are not there. If you want to find out more, then I recommend visiting the site, Wikipedia. On there you can search for all of these fandoms, and character lists and descriptions are supplied.


	2. Introduction

Author's Notes: I just wanted to say that I've been having a few problems with trying to get the spelling of the characters' names right. For instance, with Zat (one of the original Battle Nexus opponents seen in Big Brawl) is apparently called Butterfly Sword in the toy line (he's the beefy purple guy with an orange ponytail). Also, I will be using La (which I think is the name given on the official site for the skinny, tan-coloured being that wields a spear/sceptre), however that name isn't used in the cartoon. Kluh is also spelt differently in the cartoon (it's spelt as Kla in the subtitles). So if you were wondering why some of the spelling of the names was different, then that's why. For most of them, I've based the spelling off what's written in Wikipedia.

Chapter Two: Introduction.

_Battle Nexus_

An eerie chill of wind whisked itself through the abandoned cobblestone streets and markets, as though the place was a medieval wasteland. Leonardo had never seen Splinter so on edge. His whiskers twitched in time with his ears, rotating and flickering simultaneously with every minute sound. The turtles were just simply confused. Last time the tournament was on, the dimension was bustling with the bodies of hundreds of different characters from the various worlds. You couldn't walk a few feet without bumping into something or someone strange. But it didn't seem that way this year.

"Maybe everyone is already inside the stadium?" Leonardo wondered. With the place being so desolate, his voice seemed so loud and obtrusive.

With Leo's suggestion in mind, and being lead purely by curiosity, the group naturally headed towards the stadium. In doing so, they had to pass through the Hall of Fame. The sight of several figures at the end of long corridor made the turtles and their master relax, allowing them to stroll along at a more casual pace. While the majority of the family admired the craftsmanship of the statues of past legends, and the tall ceiling complete with flying buttresses, Michelangelo self-centeredly rushed ahead so he could gloat in his own image.

"Best. Statue. EVER!" Mikey claimed, jumping and pointing to the large block of marble that had been specially carved in his image.

"You know, I thought he would get over this by now. But I guess I was wrong," Raph muttered to Donatello as they strolled alongside each other. Raphael quickly rolled his eyes straight after, finding Michelangelo's behaviour rather childish and immature.

Yet as much as they despised the statue, once they caught up to their excited brother, one by one the turtles stopped to admire it, along with the sculpture of Splinter that stood right next door. But their Master had his attention focused elsewhere. Leonardo belatedly followed the elderly rat's gaze, only to have his heart quicken when he saw two unknown figures standing just a few feet away. Either the pair had been incredibly stealthy, or Leo had been too distracted. The turtle didn't know which, however the thought sent a tiny shiver across his shoulders.

The figure on the right was an elderly man of Chinese descent. His aging face featured a long, dwindling beard with both white and gray hairs. Over all he reminded Leonardo of the stereotypical karate masters depicted in most mainstream 1980s American kung fu movies. The figure on the left, however, was a lot more mysterious. A face couldn't be seen, nor could any part of the person, or creature's body. This was because they wore a long, brown, full-length hooded robe, much like monk. Leonardo shifted slightly, trying to catch the person's face or eyes in the filtered light, but there was only darkness. Giving up, the turtle looked towards Splinter for guidance as to how he should approach these two individuals, but he was shocked to see a large smile across the rat's furry face.

"Chung I! It's good to finally meet you in person," Splinter greeted the Chinese man, bowing his head. By this time the rest of Leo's family had noticed the two silent visitors, and all of them were also deeply confused. None of the turtles had seen these people ever before in their life. Frankly they were all a little freaked out by the fact that the monk-like figure seemed to be staring very intently at them.

"I'm thrilled to meet you too, Splinter," the man named Chung I replied, bowing his head as a friendly greeting. "This is my daughter, Mei Pieh Chi," Chung I introduced the concealed figure standing beside him. Raphael raised an eye-ridge, as he was expecting the robed-wearer to be male.

"Chung I has told me so much about you," Splinter now bowed to the female. She nodded her head back, remaining withdrawn. "These are my sons, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello," Splinter finished the introductions. "So are you competing in the Battle Nexus Tournament?" the rat inquired, looking at Chung I.

"No, I'm much too old for that," the elderly man chuckled. Splinter smiled in understanding. "But Mei will be competing. She hasn't officially fought anyone before, apart from her training sessions with me, so this should be an enlightening experience for her," the man explained.

"I wish her the best of luck then," Splinter politely said.

"You too," Chung I replied. Ending the pleasantries, the two slowly turned and walked away. Leonardo wasn't completely sure, but he thought that the one called Mei seemed slightly shaken by their appearance. Then again, that wasn't really a surprise considering they were all large, talking mutants. But it begged the question as to whether Mei knew of the friendship between her master and Splinter, or if she too was left in the dark, just like the turtles.

"What was all that about?" Raph blurted out once the pair was a fair distance away.

"Um… do we know them?" Mike scratched his bald head out of confusion.

"All will be revealed in due time, my sons," Splinter slyly announced, causing the turtles to remain suspicious of their father. "Come. We need to make our way to the arena, so we can register you for the tournament," Splinter urged them onwards, continuing to walk down the long hall, in the same direction that Chung I and Mei went.

The family noted several differences when they finally made it onto the stadium's floor. No longer was there a roar coming from the crowd. In fact, every seat in the stadium was empty. All the open space caused the wind to rapidly swirl and twist downwards, before blowing through the gathering competitors. Donatello shivered at the desolate sight. "Is it always as busy as this?" Raphael sarcastically asked Splinter, having the same thoughts as Donatello, but as usual he was the one to actually comment on it. It was a decent question, as last year the turtles had arrived late during the preliminary matches. Maybe the audience gathered later on once the fighting started?

"No. Never," Splinter warily answered. Concerned, the turtles timidly scanned their eyes across the empty seats once more, as though they were expecting something to appear, but nothing ever did.

"Are we still going to do this?" Leo said, having second thoughts. However, when the turtle turned back to where Splinter was standing, the rat had already gone. Looking around, he found his master talking with Gyoji, obviously signing them up already. Leonardo sighed and shrugged, figuring that Splinter thought that if there was something wrong, then they might be able to have more of an impact within the tournament, rather than being an outsider. Then again, there was also the possibility that they were all paranoid, and if they didn't sign up, then they would have to wait another three years to compete.

"Odd," Donatello mumbled suddenly.

"I know. This place is starting to give me the creeps," Mike shivered, still staring upwards from the arena floor.

"No, I mean, look at all these television screens. It looks like the Daimyo has finally discovered the twenty-first century," Donatello said, being the first to point out the new technology. He was right. Just under the platform where the Daimyo used to sit in order to survey the crowd, a large screen had been hoisted up against the wall, similar to what one would find in a football stadium. Two more screens were spotted as well, posted high above the empty seats in the coliseum as though they were huge electronic billboards, obviously so that no matter where a person sat, they would be able to view at least one of them.

"Leonardo-san!" a familiar call was heard above the murmuring of the other competitors. For a few seconds, Leonardo forgot all about the many mysteries that surrounded him, as he was completely distracted by the appearance of his old friend, Miyamoto Usagi. "So we meet again," the samurai rabbit bowed.

"It has been a while," Leonardo bowed in return, keeping up with all the formalities.

"Yes, it has," Usagi agreed. "It seems that there's a lot of new competitors," the rabbit noted. Now that Usagi mentioned it, the turtles realised that they didn't know a lot of the fighters. Unlike last time, there were a lot of humans in the groups that had gathered before them.

"Are these guys from Earth?" Mike jumped forward, interrupting the conversation so he could ask Usagi the question.

"No, definitely not. I recognise quite a few of them. Well, their dimensions at least – I don't know them on a personal level," Usagi commented. "Like that group for instance," Usagi said, pointing towards one particular cluster of people. "I can tell already that they're from Dimension Final Quadrant Eight. That dimension is fairly well known around here, as every couple of tournaments they send in trained mercenaries. However, they rely heavily on their weapons. Only a few are decent at unarmed combat," Usagi concluded.

Michelangelo glanced at the group Usagi had pointed out, noting the large, strange weapons they carried. His eyes lighted up when he noticed that one girl, named Selphie, was playing around with a nunchuck. They weren't like his; rather it was one piece, with three bars and two chains connecting them all together. He continued to check out the competition, only to freeze in fear and verbally gulp a squeal when he saw Kluh amongst the crowd. "Why don't you say hi to your friend?" Raphael cruelly asked, knowing exactly why Mike had cowered for a few seconds. For the most part, Mike ignored his brother's comments, and instead tried to hide himself by standing behind Leo - putting a physical barrier between him and the large, bulking mass of enraged muscles.

"So what about these other people?" Leonardo asked Usagi, ignoring Mike's childish antics.

"I only know about certain races within some particular dimensions. Like that Burmecian from Final Quadrant Nine," Usagi said, now pointing to Freya, the rat-lady. "They're a war-like race, and you frequently see their type competing in this tournament. It's the same with that Ronso from Final Quadrant Ten," the rabbit summarised. Leonardo stared at the last figure he had pointed out. The Ronso was a tall, bipedal blue lion-like creature, complete with a white beard and ornamental clothing. The being stood proud, giving Leo the impression that the Ronso, Kimahri, was both an honorable yet fierce fighter.

"What do you know about Mei? Chung I's student?" Leonardo asked out of curiosity.

"I'm sorry. She must be new. I've never heard of her before," Usagi answered honestly. "However what I do not understand is why ninjas from Dimension Shinonoba are here," the rabbit frowned with worry.

"Who are they? Why is that?" Leonardo had so many questions that he could barely keep up.

"They're the people wearing the headbands," Usagi described. "You can never underestimate them. They use chakra-based jutsu."

"What the heck's that?" it was Raphael's turn to interrupt.

"I suppose in your dimension it can be compared to chi energy… or more like magic spells. Some are born with the magic spells infused into their genes, while others have to learn them," the rabbit explained. "So some may be born with the ability to manipulate water, or can summon creatures. You name it, there's probably someone in that dimension who can do it."

"That doesn't seem very fair," Donatello analysed.

"It isn't. They used to win the Battle Nexus Tournament all the time, until they were banned from competing out of fairness. That's why I'm confused as to why they're here."

"It seems that there's a lot of things that need explaining," Leonardo murmured, once again noticing the absence of the audience and the presence of advanced technology.

"A lot has happened to the Daimyo over the last three years. Maybe he's just trying to change things up a bit?" Donatello suggested. No one refuted his comments, as no one else could really think of a better explanation.

"Cash your bets here!" Gen called out, greedily trying to scam money off fellow fighters as per usual. Raphael groaned as the talking rhino made his way over to the turtles. "Want to place a bet?"

"Hell no," Raph muttered.

"Aw, come on. Just bet on Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji from Dimension Shinonoba to make it to the finals, and you'll be raking it in!" Gen gloated.

"Hey! What about me? I'm the Battle Nexus Champion after all!" Michelangelo couldn't help but boast.

"Sorry kid. But this year, now that Dimension Shinonoba's involved, you've got practically no chance of winning."

"No chance!?" Mike was easily offended. He couldn't believe it. He felt as though his title meant absolutely nothing.

"You don't know who you're dealing with," Gen started to explain. "Sasuke is from the fated Uchiha clan. His family was renowned for their Sharingan jutsu – a spell that can copy other ninja's movement. I said 'was' as his family was horribly massacred. So not only does that boy have great power, but also he wants to get stronger so he can have his revenge. Then there's Neji from the Hyuga clan. He has similar powers to the Sharingan, however they're much stronger in that he can influence, read minds and can stop the flow of chakra in an opponent. Trust me, you have no hope of beating them," Gen said, seeming rather arrogant.

"Hey! Hey!" a boy with blond hair excitedly bounced over, obviously overhearing their conversation. Leonardo noticed the headband that he wore, signifying that he originated from that powerful dimension. "What are my odds of winning? Surely I must be one of the best!" Naruto gleefully asked, giving the rhino a huge grin filled with eagerness. Raphael raised an eye-ridge, as the boy's behaviour reminded the turtle of Michelangelo.

"What's your name?" Gen had to ask. Naruto's expression suddenly dropped into that of disappointment. It seemed his ego had just been shot down.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" the boy announced loudly for all to hear, hoping that the name would be recognised even though his appearance was not.

"I've never heard of you," Gen flatly answered, giving the boy a blank stare. "But you can bet on Uchiha Sasuke," Gen added, never passing up an opportunity to advertise.

The turtles watched as the boy bent his knees a little, clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Not knowing any better, Raphael initially thought that he had become constipated, yet it became apparent a few seconds later that Naruto was simply expressing his frustration. "Sasuke! Sasuke!" Naruto lowly muttered through his gritted teeth, loathing how the other boy's name was always highly regarded. The boy had always viewed Sasuke as his competition, even though they were part of the same team. Although they had come to understand some of their differences, Sasuke was renown for his clever tactics, prestigious fighting skills and for his good looks. Meanwhile, Naruto felt that he was always in Sasuke's shadow. Jealous of his teammate's popularity, Naruto vied for attention the only way he knew how – through playing pranks and being the class clown.

Naruto's emotions were about to explode. He wanted to yell about how much better than Sasuke he was. Michelangelo was also incredibly irritated by Gen's comments, and he wanted to tell the pompous rhino a thing or two about what it meant to be the Battle Nexus Champion. Yet before either of the two energetic ninjas could get a word in, a figure emerged from above. Silence littered amongst the crowds of warriors as the Daimyo finally made an appearance by walking out onto his platform. His eyes were sunken as though he hadn't slept days; his white beard that was usually elegant, was matted and bedraggled, while his clothes were crumpled as though he no longer cared. Panic immediately ripped through the turtles and Usagi, as the Daimyo looked the same as he did back when he was despairing about his lost son. They eyed him cautiously as the unkempt man trudged to the podium, curious to see if he was going to point them out, seeking revenge once again. But there was none of that. Instead his eyes were dull and filled with the void of hopelessness. He stared listlessly like a zombie at the silent crowd before beginning his speech.

"Welcome to the Battle Nexus Tournament," the Daimyo greeted. His voice lacked any rising inflections, and therefore was predominately monotone. "Entries have now closed. For those not competing, I now ask that you leave the stage and make your way up to your seats," the Daimyo apathetically announced. Splinter, Chung I, Kakashi and Freya started to move off.

"If you change your mind about placing a bet, then you know where to find me," Gen arrogantly said, preparing to follow the others that were leaving.

"Aren't you competing this time?" Usagi wondered.

"I don't feel I need to," Gen answered before walking away from the small group.

"Good luck, my sons. Be careful," Splinter warned as he passed the turtles on his way up to the allocated seating. The mutant reptiles nodded, knowing that they'd better be on guard, especially since the Daimyo didn't seem mentally healthy. As soon as all the audience members had left the stage, Gyoji surrounded all the competitors with one of his giant psychic, watery-like bubbles. The turtles braced themselves, thinking that they were either going to float above the ground, or sink below it, however neither option occurred. Instead, a strange light green gas started to fill the enclosed area. At first everyone stepped away from the floating particles with apprehension, then all terror broke loose when people started to breathe it in. The warriors started to cough and wheeze. In a panic they scrambled around the area; tried to feebly scratch at the psychic barrier; attempted to keep low to the ground, but there was no escape. It was unknown as to where the gas had originated. It was just _everywhere_.

Donatello managed to scream for help, hoping that Splinter or the others that were in the audience could end this terrifying madness. Fretting, the turtle ran to the edge of the giant bubble, closer to where Splinter would be, however through the thick of the clouding smoke, he saw that the audience members were trapped in a psychic cell of their own. Donatello's chest heaved, desperately wanting oxygen. His vision started to waver. He could feel and sense the slipping of reality. Don's heart pumped faster as he knew he only had a few more seconds. With one more cough, his body gave up, collapsing into an unconscious heap on the ground.

* * *

No one knew how much time had passed. As the air started to clear, groggily everyone inside Gyoji's bubble of Hell began to stir. There were a few stragglers, but one by one, people climbed to their wobbly feet. Furiously blinking his eyes as though that would help his blurry vision, Leonardo attempted to seek answers. The first thing he looked for was their location. To his surprise, they hadn't moved. They were still in the Battle Nexus amphitheatre. Next he looked for his brothers, only to find them right by his side as always. In fact, it seemed that no one was missing… but something had been added.

Leonardo stared quizzically at the neck collars clipped around his brothers' necks. They reminded Leo of a large, silver watch - in that the band was strong and plated, and the collar featured a rectangle-like electronic contraption in the centre, coincidentally sitting right on top of the jugular. Inspecting the situation even further, it seemed that every competitor wore these mysterious neck braces. As a natural reaction, Leo lifted his hand to his neck, only for his fingers to make contact with his own frightening collar. He felt around, trying to find a clasp in order to take it off, but there was none. Next he felt for his weapons, only to discover that his and everyone else's had been removed.

Fearfully the turtle looked towards the seated area, in the hopes of finding Splinter. The audience members were still there, all trapped together in another one of Gyoji's bubbles. However none of them were wearing the neck braces. But Leo didn't care about why that was. Rather he was just glad to see that everyone thus far was safe.

Michelangelo anxiously tapped on Leo's upper arm to get his attention. The blue-wearing turtle spun around, only to find Mike staring intently at someone or something. "Look at Mei…" Mike murmured, not even glancing at Leonardo. Obliging, Leo followed his brother's gaze. At first he couldn't find the cloaked figure, but it wasn't long till his eyes locked onto something else far more intriguing. Through the crowds stood a lone female mutant turtle. It didn't take long for Don and Raph to start gawking as well.

"Surely that's not…" Leo trailed off, finding himself rather speechless. As he continued to stare, he saw the cloak folded over one of Mei's arms, confirming that the female turtle was indeed Chung I's student, hence a friend of a friend of Splinter's. In one glance, a thousand questions had spawned. How? Where? Who? Why? If an outsider didn't know any better, they'd think that the turtles were staring at a UFO landing. But in reality, they literally had never seen a female mutant turtle before.

Yet this came at the wrong time. The fact that a female of their species existed was a huge issue, however at that very moment, despite their longing, they couldn't focus on Mei as there were even bigger problems at hand. The Daimyo still stood, high above them, at his podium. "Play the tape," he ordered sadly. The confused and scared murmurs in the crowd fell silent once again as everyone focused their attention on one of the massive television screens that surrounded the stadium.

The film flickered for a moment until a young girl appeared on screen. She had pointy ears like an elf, and had bangs that fell in a swirl-like pattern on her forehead. The rest of her orange hair pointed upwards and formed a crooked triangle – obviously an odd, unearthly hairstyle. Her eyes were red and irritated, as though the unknown girl was only moments away from spilling her tears. Leonardo knew that look on her face. It was the expression that people gave when they feared for their life. What was most interesting about her was that she too was wearing one of those mysterious metal necklaces.

The girl fearfully shivered, accidentally crumpling the script she held in her sweaty hands. "Here are the rules for the triennial Battle Nexus Tournament," the teenager's voice quivered. "You will be fighting in a large, rectangular area located out in the wilderness. The playing field will be divided up into thirty-two, equally spaced sections; four sections wide and eight sections long, like a large grid. They will be referred to as A1 through to A8, B1 through to B8, C1 through to C8, and D1 through to D8," the girl fearfully reported.

"Every eight hours, several of these areas will be announced as danger zones. This is where the necklaces come in." The girl paused for a moment, as though she was too terrified to continue. She seemed to look past the camera, as though she was staring at the person who was filming her. The viewers couldn't see what was happening, but there seemed to be something or someone forcing her, or rather threatening her, to keep speaking. "The necklaces are one hundred percent shockproof and waterproof. It can also monitor your pulse and alert us of your whereabouts. If you do not move out of a danger zone during the allotted time given… then your necklace will be triggered, and it will detonate within seconds," the teenager helplessly announced.

"This is crap! I won't fight!" Naruto suddenly yelled out, defiantly staring down the Daimyo.

"Shut up, kid! I wanna listen!" Barret hissed.

"Your necklace will also detonate if you pull on it too hard, or try to remove it. The object of this game is survival. At the end of three days, if there is more than one person still alive, then everyone dies. You may use any means necessary to kill your opponents," the girl struggled to say her words. Her hands gripped her script even tighter; her fingernails unintentionally pinching holes through the paper.

"They view this as a _game_?" Usagi was appalled. The video footage was paused for a moment as a single, khaki backpack magically appeared in front of every warrior's feet. "Gyoji! Why are you allowing this? Why is this happening? What is going on?" Usagi angrily questioned the floating mystical being. Gyoji regretfully looked away, as though he was too ashamed to answer. His actions only caused the turtles to ponder over one more thing; why were the Daimyo and Gyoji so remorseful?

The tape started to play once again. "You have all been given one backpack. Inside you will find one loaf of bread, a bottle of water, a flashlight, a compass, a map and pen – so you can note down the danger zones, and most importantly, a weapon. All weapons are different and have been given to you randomly. Some are found commonly within your own dimensions, while others might not be considered weapons at all."

"That's not fair!" Selphie fearfully gasped.

"As an example of what you will be facing, I will…" The girl stopped reading. She couldn't voice the words that were ahead. Her hands shivered, causing her script to wobble and rattle slightly. Eyes filled with horror, she stared towards the cameraman. The competitors all watched as she slowly broke down, weeping while pleading with her body language. Yet she received no mercy. A red light began to flash on her collar. A beeping sound followed straight after. It was slow at first, but it gradually became faster and faster. Panicking, she clumsily scratched at the necklace to no avail. "NO!" she screamed with utter terror. The girl didn't know what to do. She staggered off the screen, seeking help, but she was pushed back, so that she could remain on camera. She tried again, this time in the other direction, her arms flailing wildly, but she was kicked back.

It tore at the turtles' hearts to see someone so desperate for help, yet there was absolutely nothing they could do. For all they knew, this footage could have been filmed years ago. The competitors wanted to look away, but they couldn't. It was like witnessing an impending car crash; everyone had that morbid fascination in watching the action take place, even though they knew it would be imprinted in their minds forever. The beeping got even faster, until it the sound was so rapid that it no longer featured any intervals. At precisely that second, the necklace exploded. A thick stream of blood fired onto the camera lens. The force from the explosion had been so strong that the girl's head had been blown backwards, her head hanging at an awkward ninety-degree angle, just barely attached by the ligaments in her spinal cord. Lifelessly she fell to the floor. Blood continued to dribble down the lens until the entire screen was covered with the gruesome red colour. The film ended shortly afterwards. Everyone was so shocked by what they had seen, that there was a deathly silence in the crowd.

While everyone's initial reaction was shared universally, the responses that followed differed immensely. Some female warriors like Selphie were emotionally distraught. Others, like Naruto and Barret, were angered by their situation. On many faces there were expressions of a mixture of disgust and confusion. The turtles meanwhile were in a state of disbelief. Yet fearfully of all, there were a few competitors that weren't even phased by the idea of having a battle to the death. Sasuke, Neji, Amarant, Shino and Kimahri all stood strong and upright, with a defiant look in their eyes. These were the people that wanted to win, no matter how morbid their upcoming task was.

The Daimyo hadn't moved. He was still lingering unenthusiastically near his podium, as though he was some tired, desensitised old vulture, watching the herd below, wondering which creature was going to die first. "I will now allocate each competitor to their starting area. When going through the list, I will state their dimension, name, then area code. Like your weapons, these were picked at random. Once everyone has been allocated a section, Gyoji will transport you all to your respective places simultaneously, and the tournament will begin immediately," the old man gloomily announced. There were some rustling noises as some of the competitors from Dimension Final Quadrant Seven opened their backpacks to get out their map and pen, obviously wanting to note down the starting location of their friends and possible enemies. Others started to conspire, and soon it was obvious that some were still going to rely on teamwork despite the fact that only one could remain alive in the end.

"I will start with last year's Battle Nexus Champion," the Daimyo began. Michelangelo gulped and experienced an instinctual desire to simply sink his head down within the safe confines of his shell.

"Did he really have to mention that part?" Mike muttered weakly. Normally his brothers would have relished the moment, and would have laughed at the fact that Mike didn't want to be recognised for his amazing feat. Yet this was serious. What should have been an honour was now a danger. Fighters wanting to test their skills would now on purposely seek the turtle out, not just to battle, but to kill him. Then again, no doubt there would be some that would be intimidated of the thought of battling the champion. Either way, in those few seconds, none of the turtles wanted to be in Michelangelo's position.

"Dimension Third Earth, Michelangelo, A1," the Daimyo started to list. "Final Quadrant Seven, Yuffie Kisaragi, A2; Dimension Shinonoba, Uchiha Sasuke, A3; Final Quadrant Nine, Amarant Coral, A4; Final Quadrant Seven, Vincent Valentine, A5; Shinonoba, Aburame Shino, A6; Final Quadrant Seven, Cloud Strife, A7; Final Quadrant Seven, Barret Wallace, A8," the Daimyo completed the first line.

"Shinonoba, Hyuga Hinata, B1; Third Earth, Mei Pieh Chi, B2; Shinonoba, Hyuga Neji, B3." Hinata froze in terror as the coordinates were read out. The person most likely to hunt down and kill her, her own relative, Neji, was only one area away. "Final Quadrant Seven, Cid Highwind, B4," the Daimyo continued to read out. "Shinonoba, Uzumaki Naruto, B5; Shinonoba, Tenten, B6; Final Quadrant Eight, Selphie Tilmitt, B7; Final Quadrant Eight, Irvine Kinneas, B8," the ancient lord finished the row.

"Senit Yunul, Zat, C1." The turtles paused, recognising a familiar name. Looking around, they soon found out why, as Zat was one of the competitors from their last Battle Nexus Tournament. "Third Earth, Raphael, C2; Final Quadrant Nine, General Beatrix, C3; Final Quadrant Seven, Tifa Lockhart, C4; Third Earth, Donatello, C5; Yibric, La, C6." The Daimyo read out the name of another creature that had competed in the previous Battle Nexus Tournament. The turtles were slightly comforted by the fact that they were already familiar with some of the fighters, because at least they knew their style of combat. Then again, the same was true vice versa. "Final Quadrant Seven, Nanaki, C7, and Second Earth, Miyamoto Usagi, C8."

"Final Quadrant Nine, Quina Quen, D1; Final Quadrant Eight, Zell Dincht, D2; Levram, Kluh, D3; Final Quadrant Eight, Squall Leonhart, D4; Third Earth, Leonardo, D5…"

"You're one area vertically below me," Donatello whispered to his brother. Leonardo nodded while his mind was already trying to think of a plan.

"Raph's not too far away from us as well…" Leo verbalised his thoughts.

"Yeah, except I'm stuck in the corner of the grid," Mike grumped. The orange-wearing turtle fidgeted nervously as he had never felt this vulnerable before. Being so far away geographically, Mike truly did have to fight on his own… unless he wanted to travel towards his brothers, but that would mean passing through the allocated areas of many other skilled fighters.

"Final Quadrant Ten, Kimahri Ronso, D6; Shinonoba, Yamanaka Ino, D7; and Shinonoba, Haruno Sakura, D8," the Daimyo finished his announcement. Silence strangled the crowd once again. The conspiring and whispering had stopped. Everyone just froze in nervous anticipation. No matter how much they loathed the idea, nothing would change the fact that the 'game' was about to start. "The triennial Battle Nexus Tournament will now begin!" The Daimyo exclaimed, even though it was obvious. As it had been grievously expected, Gyoji performed one last trick and isolated every warrior into his or her own separate impenetrable bubbles. Like little insignificant pawns on a giant, living chessboard, the competitors were levitated into the air against their will, before being scattered simultaneously across the landscape. The few that made up the spectators could only look on in helplessness, just knowing that only one would ever return to the stadium.

_To be continued…_

Disclaimer: I just wanted to add that I don't own Chung I or Mei Pieh Chi, as they are the property of Saban Entertainment. I didn't want to mention it earlier as I thought it would be a bit of a spoiler… then again, if you're used to my fics, then you shouldn't really be surprised :P

Author's Notes: Yeah, I know that the area codes are a little confusing. It's not necessary for you to know where everyone starts, because everyone will eventually have to move around anyway because some areas will be listed as danger zones. If you really wanted to, you could draw up a 4 x 8 grid and write them all down, and track their movements, but that's only if you want a clearer understanding, or if you'll find that easier for yourself. Anyway, that's it for me for now. I'll write a really brief reference list at the beginning of the next chapter.


	3. Let the Battle Begin!

Author's Notes: Okay, as I promised, I'm writing up a quick character list. When I say that a certain character is in the audience, then that means that they're not competing in the tournament, but are trapped by Gyoji anyway so that they cannot interfere with what's going on.

From TMNT (Dimension Third Earth) there is:  
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, Mei Pieh Chi (aka Venus de Milo - Next Mutation universe), Splinter (audience member), Chung I (audience member - Next Mutation universe).

Others featured from TMNT include:  
Kluh (Dimension Levram), La (Dimension Yibric), Zat (Dimension Senit Yunul), Usagi (Dimension Second Earth) and Gen (audience member - Dimension Second Earth).

From Final Fantasy 7 (which I've called Final Quadrant Seven) there is (on a first name basis):  
Yuffie, Vincent, Cloud, Barret, Cid, Tifa and Nanaki (also referred to as Red XIII).

From Final Fantasy 8 (called Final Quadrant Eight) there is:  
Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Squall.

From Final Fantasy 9 (called Final Quadrant Nine) there is:  
Amarant, Beatrix, Quina and Freya (audience member).

From Final Fantasy 10 (called Final Quadrant Ten) there is:  
Kimahri.

From Naruto (called Dimension Shinonoba) there is:  
Sasuke, Shino, Hinata, Neji, Naruto, Tenten, Ino, Sakura and Kakashi (audience member).

That probably wasn't much of a help, but at least now there's a quick reference list to find out what fandom everyone is from. Usually when I focus in on a new character I'll mention what dimension they are from, so at the very least you know what show/game they're on.

Chapter Three: Let the Battle Begin!

_Day 1, 9am. 32 competitors remaining. _

Michelangelo's gut churned as Gyoji's blue-tinted bubble finally faded away into nothing once it had reached its intended destination. Feeling the damp earth between his naked toes, Mike quickly whipped his head around, getting a good look at his surroundings. It seemed that he was in the middle of forest, rich with moist, vibrant green leaves, and the air filled with the sound of the early morning native birdcalls and rustling whirl of the wind. His feet sprung from the ground as he scooted to hide behind the nearest tree trunk.

In a way he was glad that his brothers weren't around to see him act so paranoid. Yet then again he wouldn't trade their presence for anything else in the world. The natural noises of the forest only made him feel extremely isolated. He was miles away from anyone. Well, at least anyone who wasn't going to kill him on sight.

As he fumbled through the backpack that he carried in his shaky grip, he began to wonder if others were going to attack at all. Would it be possible to revolt? Or with the three-day limit in place, would others consider it easier to play the 'game' by the rules? And if so, how would he know which of the strangers would proclaim peace and who would prefer to start a war?

Michelangelo unbuckled the opening of his khaki backpack and dug his hand inside; desperately wanting to know what weapon fate had bestowed on him. As he fumbled around, he gritted his teeth, remembering how the Daimyo had announced to the congregation that he was the reigning Battle Nexus Champion. He started to worry about how his competitors would strategically plot again him; whether they would avoid a fight until the last few hours when he would be at his weakest from previous battles, or whether they'd eliminate the champ as soon as possible when they'd be at their strongest. His three-fingered hand came across the familiar sleek coolness of metal. His heart thumped, praying that his sense of touch wasn't fooling him. Mike clutched onto the two items and yanked them out of the bag.

Michelangelo couldn't hide his excitement. Whatever fearful thoughts that had plagued his mind had suddenly dissipated as he reveled in the delight of seeing two nunchucks. He wanted to scream out to the towering canopy, "I have nunchucks! I have nunchucks!" as though he had been victorious in some way, but common sense forced him to contain himself. Even though the nunchucks weren't his own, getting the weapon he was most comfortable with certainly gave him a huge boost in his confidence. Allowing his emotions to take over, he immediately started to play with them, twirling them around his body while he practiced a few combat moves. He was pumped full of energy and prepared to take on any opponent.

As he thought about the competition again, Mike suddenly froze. He realised that he knew one person that was definitely not going to waste any time in finding him. Kluh. The mere notion of fighting that gigantic, muscle-bound warrior sent tingles of cold terror through Mike's shell. Once again the frightening feeling of loneliness settled into his body. Nunchucks or not, without his brothers for physical and emotional support, he was going to be in this alone for quite some time. Leonardo wasn't there to instruct him on tactics. Donatello wasn't there to advise him on how to be smart in this scenario. While Raph wasn't there to simply help him in busting a few heads. This time there was only himself to rely on, and if he made a mistake, then it would be fatal.

Fear had gripped Mike's body. One thing he knew for certain was that he needed to move out of the area he had been allocated from the start, as Kluh would no doubt be making a beeline for him. Yet it would mean that he would have to travel into the area of another competitor. In a way, he wished he had done the same as the people from dimension Final Quadrant Seven in writing down everyone's location on the map Gyoji had provided. With nothing but his own fear and gut instincts to rely on, Mike decided to move off, just hoping that he didn't bump into anybody else too soon.

* * *

The feeling of helplessness had already started to settle into Sakura's mind. She was a bright young student from dimension Shinonoba, but even though she knew her theory, in practice she was nothing special. Sakura's list of fighting techniques were basic and were nothing compared to the natural abilities that her team mates Naruto and Sasuke had genetically acquired.

'_Will I really live through this?'_ Sakura found herself questioning as she ducked in amongst the shadows, wanting to hide from any potential enemies. She wanted to remain in high spirits, but she regretfully knew that she wasn't the most skilled warrior. She couldn't possibly defeat anyone and everyone. Sakura had to play this like she always had done, and that was to play it smart.

Eventually she came up with two tactics. Either she could remain hidden and hope that everyone else would pick each other off, or she could join an alliance. Yet neither plan was perfect, as both involved her friends dying, especially Naruto and Sasuke. She had the choice of distancing herself from them immediately, to make the pain of losing them seem less, or to use them and their strength, only to betray them later. Sakura hated both options.

'_But what would they do?'_ Sakura quickly wondered as the paranoia crept in. Would they also be thinking of betraying her? Would they sacrifice their own life for her? Would they all perish? Sakura shivered. She wasn't ready to die. Yet Sakura was an intelligent young woman and painfully knew that her chances of outlasting everyone else were incredibly slim, especially since she wasn't s a strong fighter. So ultimately it wasn't necessarily a matter of _if_, but rather _how_ she was going to pass away during this tournament. Did she want to die alone, or fighting by the side of her friends?

Once again her thoughts drifted back over towards her usual team mates, Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura knew that Naruto liked her and that he would never turn against her when the time came. In fact, Sakura could picture the boy rebelling against the entire concept of the 'game', and using the following three days to bring the entire tournament to a crashing end. But the problem was with the other competitors. Naruto was an incredibly clumsy and brainless ninja at times, and being stealthy definitely wasn't one of his strong points. Just like him, Sakura also didn't want to kill anyone, and would like nothing more than to stop this horrid battle to the death, yet by choosing to travel with Naruto and his loud-mouthed personality, she risked being spotted and killed by anyone who crossed their path. After all, who knew what the other competitors were planning?

So then there was Sasuke – an incredibly talented ninja who had in recent times developed an intensity and undying vengeance which sometimes terrified Sakura. He definitely had the strength and the wits to protect her, however out of all the people she could align herself with, he was also the one most comfortable with the idea of killing. During her time as his team mate, Sakura had witnessed Sasuke almost border on the edge of evilness. A dark curse would sometimes envelop him and turn him into a ruthless and cruel fighter. In normal situations Sakura knew that Sasuke would never intentionally hurt her… but they weren't in ordinary circumstances. Yet regardless of his dark past and motives, Sasuke was incredibly attractive and Sakura had a not-so-subtle crush on him. In fact, a lot of the girls back at their ninja academy had a secret liking towards the mysterious Sasuke.

Even though Naruto would have been a better choice as far as faithfulness to ones allies went, like many other times, Sakura's feelings for Sasuke blinded her judgment. Deciding to try and find him, Sakura did something bold and considerably foolish.

"Sasuke!" she called out his name. "Sasuke!" she repeated even louder. Immediately Sakura checked that she was well hidden. She didn't want others to physically answer her call. Sakura knew it wasn't one of her smarter moves, but one where if it worked, it would save her a lot of time.

* * *

Usagi grimaced as he slopped through the thick mud. It turned out that his starting point was in the middle of a vast swamp. Unlike other competitors, he had no choice about whether he should stay in his original area or move on. He just had to leave. His mobility through the thick, sinking mud was limited. Clumps of the slick earth clung and weighed down what used to be his white furry legs. The stench of the rotting wood was horrendous. But onward he marched, taking the time to catch his breath every now and then from the exhausting task of moving and lifting his heavy feet, leaving a large trench in his trail.

Finally the boggy water started to thin. Usagi smiled to himself; relieved that the edge of the marsh was finally in sight. He fastened his pace, sloshing through the murky liquid and sticky bedding. As he reached solid, firm ground, his legs instantly felt lighter. While thinking of a means to wash away the heavy dirt from his fur and the bottom of his clothes, a figure was spotted in amongst the trees.

Usagi froze. His nose twitched. His long ears stood erect and quivered in response to even the smallest of sounds. It wasn't an illusion. There _was_ someone out there, and they could sense his presence too.

"Reveal yourself!" Usagi boldly said to the unknown stranger. The warrior slowly crawled out to the left of where Usagi was facing. It was the red lion-like creature. As Usagi recalled, the competitor was from Final Quadrant Seven. He had a very tribal look about him, especially with his Native American styled headdress and trinkets. The four-legged creature also had been branded in numerous places along his body, mainly on his shoulders, foreleg and cheeks. Yet what caught Usagi's attention the most was the piece of electronic equipment the beast held in its mouth.

"I do not intend to fight you," Usagi announced, wanting to make his peaceful intentions clear. The creature carefully lowered the small electronic gadget to the ground, obviously so he could speak.

"I do not wish to fight either," the beast replied. "My name is Nanaki, although I am also known as Red XIII," the lion-like creature introduced himself.

"Miyamoto Usagi," the samurai responded, giving Nanaki a quick, traditional bow out of respect. "If I may ask, what is that you're carrying?" Usagi curiously wondered, pointing to the device that lay at Nanaki's paws.

"I'm not entirely sure. I think it's what they gave me as a weapon, although I cannot use it in battle," Nanaki started to explain.

"I don't understand…" Usagi was confused. If it wasn't a weapon, then what was it?

"I think it's an electronic map. A locator. I haven't figured out how it all works yet, but so far it seems to display the whereabouts of everyone else in this tournament," Nanaki hypothesised.

"Our collars…" Usagi muttered as was reminded of the fact that the necklaces gave off a signal. "That must come in handy," the rabbit realised.

"I'm hoping to find my friends with it. Although I cannot tell who is who. Everyone just comes up as a red blip," Nanaki explained his dilemma.

"Just don't let it fall into the wrong hands," Usagi warned him.

"Sasuke!"

"Did you hear that?" Nanaki's ears picked up the call that was carried on the wind.

"Sasuke!" There it was again.

"Is she calling for help?" Nanaki wondered.

"She's calling for the ninja Uchiha Sasuke," Usagi stated the obvious.

"Why would she do that?"

"Maybe she knows him?" Usagi could only guess. "But whatever her reason, that's not a smart move. She's only going to attract the people who are going to play this 'game' for real," the rabbit feared.

"Or maybe she's set a trap?" Nanaki pondered. The beast watched as the rabbit's ears started to twitch in caution.

"We should depart from this area. If people are going to head towards her, then chances are they'll cross our path as well," Usagi feared.

"Did you get a good weapon?" Nanaki wondered. Upon hearing his question, the samurai rabbit instantly slipped his backpack off one shoulder, unzipped it and reached inside. He pulled out a long, coiled black whip and held out his arm to show it to his temporary ally.

"It's definitely not my first choice, but it may prove useful," Usagi analysed. Nanaki nodded his head in agreement, and was about to move off, but he quickly hesitated.

"You're really not going to fight, are you?" Nanaki questioned.

"The whole idea of this tournament is grotesque and despicable. However, should I be in the situation where I have to battle, then I will fight my hardest with honour and integrity," Usagi sternly answered.

"My friends aren't too thrilled in participating either. In fact, some of them are part of a rebel group called AVALANCHE."

"Rebel group?" Usagi was confused once again, and even a little alarmed.

"They've brought down heartless, large corporations before, and I'm sure that when we get together again, we'll come up with a way to put an end to this tournament," Nanaki fully explained. The beast thoughtfully paused for a moment while Usagi simply waited for him to continue. "If you're still against fighting the next time we meet, then feel welcome to join our cause," Nanaki invited. Usagi watched the four-legged creature carefully pick up the tracking device with his mouth once more, getting ready to go their separate ways.

"I'll keep that in mind," Usagi answered, before he too started to depart from the area.

* * *

Two feet bounced and leapt from tree limb to tree limb; so swift and so fleeting, like a buzz from a fly whizzing past on a hot summer's day. But Neji wasn't jumping randomly. He was not scampering in fear, nor willing to hide. Every footstep he made had a purpose, with a destination in mind. He was after Uchiha Sasuke, though not to make an alliance with him like Sakura was planning. Instead, Neji was hoping to test his strength against the best.

Like Sasuke, Neji was an incredibly serious boy, who unlike others from dimension Shinonoba, understood that being a ninja meant that he often had to kill his opponents. That's what a ninja did. That was their ultimate livelihood. But Neji wasn't merely choosing to kill out of obligation, rather he wanted to defend his clan name. Like most of his family members, he was gifted with an extremely powerful chakra that was passed down through his genes. Evidence of this could be spotted by observing his pale grey eyes – the sign that he had the gift of intense insight. There was a reason why his clan name was so highly revered. Being able to view ones chi pressure points and to predict an opponents movements and motives, was a terrifying ability to have.

So onwards he leapt through the trees – a common way for ninjas to travel in his dimension. He had something to prove and the reputation of his family name to protect. He had a rough idea of what direction to head, as he made a point in remembering Sasuke's starting point when it was read out by the Daimyo. But he knew that the other extremely talented and thereby dangerous ninja would not stay in that area for very long. Neji knew he could only try to find what he considered to be his only worthy opponent, and if anyone else got in the way, then they would be eliminated from the competition. Permanently.

* * *

Splinter slid his long nails and fingertips slowly down the magical barrier that prevented him from rescuing his family. Gyoji still had him and the other members of the audience trapped, and gave no sign of releasing them any time soon. Splinter looked over at his cell mates and despairingly observed Chung I's worried expression. Both of them were parents, feeling quite lost without their adopted children. Splinter knew his sons were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, yet with so many unknown and dangerous competitors, he began to wonder if maybe his feeling hope was futile.

A loud bang was heard. Then another. Splinter watched as the young rat-lady bounced, jumped and kicked against Gyoji's large, bubble-like wall. Her attacks did nothing. Ripples and reflections of her hits could be viewed after the impact, but they soon dissipated, as though all of the kinetic energy had been absorbed and swallowed – the wall never changing, never relenting. "Save your energy," Splinter wisely advised the woman. She stopped and looked at him, giving Splinter his first good look at her. She wore and odd outfit. Pink in colour, the collared coat reminded Splinter of something from the Shakespearean era. A European-like royal emblem also rested on her chest, while her hat – which was the most striking and prominent part of her outfit – reflected and resembled the shape of her own narrow-faced, furry rat features.

"And what exactly should we save our energy for?" the woman responded, becoming increasingly frustrated with their situation just like everyone else who was trapped.

"Maybe it is time we introduced ourselves and started working together, because it has become clear to me that we're not going to accomplish anything alone," Chung I spoke up. There was a pause while everyone considered his suggestion.

"My name is Freya," the rat-lady said.

"Chung I," the elderly man introduced.

"Splinter," Splinter said with a bow.

"Gen," the talking, bipedal rhino spoke up. "Although I must say that not everything is at a loss. At least now with these new rules, I don't have to pay anyone back on their bets."

"How can you be thinking of money at a time like this?" Chung I glared at the greedy creature.

"As they say in the gambling world, someone's loss is another man's gain," Gen remained indifferent to their situation.

"That's my daughter who is out there!" Chung I protested, spitting his words out and stepping forward. He stopped advancing after realising a contradiction within himself, as he didn't want to get into a physical fight with Gen, since like his friend Splinter, he wanted to work in peace with everyone, yet Chung I also wanted to demand some respect.

"Let's all calm down, as decisions clouded by anger are not decisions at all, rather they are merely actions with horrible consequences," Splinter reminded everyone of their ultimate goal. "We come from different worlds and have different motives, but we need to work together, as I'm sure all our loved ones are doing the same out there."

Chung I nodded and agreed with Splinter's words. "I know that Mei will not play this 'game'," he spoke for his daughter.

"Neither will my sons," Splinter said.

"Or Usagi," Gen mumbled.

"How can you be so sure?" Kakashi asked, the only one in the group who hadn't formally introduced himself. The entire time he had been leaning against the physic wall, flicking and reading through the pages of his favourite naughty romance book titled, 'Come, Come Paradise'. Everyone stared at the mysterious man dressed in black, quite shocked with themselves for having completely forgotten about him.

"Because we know them," Splinter softly answered with the painful look of hope in his eyes. "They won't play."

Kakashi sighed and reluctantly closed his book. Crossing his arms, he stared at the group while they all looked back at him. "I hope for everyone's sake that you're right; that everyone will work together. Because it will only take one person who wants to play the game to change the entire dynamics of everyone else's plans," Kakashi analysed.

"But surely no one will agree to abide by these ridiculous new Battle Nexus rules!" Chung I exclaimed.

"They will if they want to live longer than three days," Freya murmured. She dropped her head, realising the truth behind Kakashi's statement. "Once someone is killed, only more will follow," she sadly hypothesised.

"It will take all of them to work together, and only one to destroy everything. I hate to point this out, but the statistics aren't in our favour, and currently there's nothing we can do but watch," Kakashi bluntly summarised. The group of audience members fell silent, knowing that the ninja spoke the truth even though it was incredibly harsh and hard to believe. They didn't want to lose hope, but they didn't want to become ignorant to reality either.

* * *

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Naruto cursed himself. The orange jumpsuit-wearing jokester of a ninja from dimension Shinonoba hadn't moved that far from his original starting point at all. He didn't have a plan. He never had a plan, but this time in this situation he really needed one. Yet Naruto was hardly ever a strategist. That didn't mean he was a weak fighter, but the times when he did pull off impressive and effective moves in combat were usually the result of a fluke.

Naruto was an energetic and emotional young boy, who, like Michelangelo, needed to be surrounded by other people. Back home, when he was training, he worked alongside his team mates, Sakura and the highly acclaimed Sasuke. Although he had an immature rivalry going on between him and Sasuke, in the end, Naruto valued and relied on their friendship dearly. So to now be without their help, wisdom and skill was utterly frightening.

Naruto simply couldn't think. The idea that he had to kill other competitors for no reason other than to save his own life sickened him, almost to the point where he had to sit down because he was feeling nauseated. His stomach churned with adrenaline, terror and doom. His hands were physically shaking. Naruto just couldn't comprehend his predicament. It was almost like he was paralysed by the fear. Yet the longer he stayed there, the worse the feeling of hopelessness became. He couldn't just sit there and wait for death. He had to fight against this.

Naruto clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, cursing himself for acting like the way he was. In that moment, he quelled his fears, instead having them replaced with a giant dose of determination. He had to do something. He had to fight against the atrocities that he had been asked to commit. Yet Naruto still couldn't do everything on his own. Having a crush on the beautiful pink-haired female ninja, Naruto's thoughts immediately went to Sakura. He had his answer; he had to find her and ask for her help.

Too bad he was so caught up with emotion earlier that he didn't take note what section his team mate started in.

"Damn it!" he cursed again.

* * *

Michelangelo advanced into a brisk a jog; sacrificing stealth for time. His large reptilian feet couldn't help but rustle the fallen leaves that were deposited upon the dirt, even though he tried as best he could to remain as silent as possible. He couldn't really afford to be a lumbering oaf, but more importantly he couldn't be too slow to leave the area, just in case Kluh was coming to cause his ultimate demise. So Mike didn't stop, ploughing headstrong through a shallow but fast flowing stream. His feet sloshed all the way through to the opposite bank and created odd two-toed footprints in the cool mud.

There he stopped. Now he definitely knew he was in another warrior's starting area. Dead ahead, he could sense another's presence. Emerging from behind a pile of large boulders, Mike noticed that she was only a young girl. Her body tensed in wariness at the sight of him. Michelangelo continued to stay still as well, not knowing what her intentions were. "My name's Michelangelo," the turtle introduced himself anyway. After all, having good manners definitely wouldn't hurt at a time like this.

"Yuffie Kisaragi," the girl replied. She delivered a sweet little smile, demonstrating the playful aspect of her personality. "Where are you from?" she inquired as though she was genuinely interested.

"Third Earth. You?"

"Final Quadrant Seven," Yuffie answered. "Were you lucky with what weapon you got?"

"Why do you ask? Do you want to fight me?" Mike suddenly became suspicious. The girl immediately shook her head, definitely not liking that option.

"I'm just curious to know what other people got. That's all," Yuffie innocently voiced. Michelangelo swung both arms around to the back of his carapace and removed both nunchucks from his belt. The female ninja raised an eyebrow in intrigue, but she quickly covered up her facial expression and acted like the sight of the weapon didn't interest her at all.

"What did you get?" Mike also developed an insatiable sense of curiosity, hooking his nunchucks back into belt. Yuffie reached into her pocket and pulled out a ball of something. At first Mike couldn't focus his eyes on the fine wire properly, but soon he realised that it was a fishing line. "That could come in handy," Mike said, relaxing a little now that he definitely knew that the girl wasn't packing a gun. In fact, Yuffie seemed to be quite friendly, and Mike started to drop his guard even more since she gave him no reason to stay so terribly cautious.

"You think so?" Yuffie crinkled her nose at her unlikely weapon.

"At least you can catch some more food with it to keep your strength up," Mike suggested with a casual grin and a shrug. He was going to mention how the thin line could be used to set up traps and to saw through soft flesh, but he decided to leave those gruesome details out just in case she developed some bright ideas.

Yuffie giggled over his last words. "Yes, but I doubt I'll have time to lie back and sunbake while waiting for a fish to bite!" She was amused with the thought. Seeing no threat, she walked towards him and closed the distance between them as she continued to speak. "Hey, have you seen any of my friends?"

"I haven't seen anyone else yet. Are you thinking of joining up with them?"

"Yeah. None of us want to fight, so we're going to think up a way to escape," Yuffie explained further.

"My brothers and I might do the same. I just wished we organised a meeting place," Mike pouted.

"Well maybe my friends and your family could work something out later on," Yuffie suggested.

"Yeah, that'll be cool," Mike nodded. Yuffie grinned in response.

"Anyway it was nice chatting with you, but I've gotta be on my way," Yuffie said. She returned the ball of fishing line back into her pocket before extending her hand, expecting a handshake. Thinking nothing of it Mike reached out and shook it out of politeness. "Oh!" Yuffie exclaimed as though she just remembered something. "I wanted to ask you… Do you know where the source of the river is?"

Unsure, Michelangelo naturally turned his head away to look at the river he had crossed a few minutes ago. It was a long but steady stream that dribbled around rocks and had its origin shrouded in the forest mist. "No idea," Mike murmured, looking back at Yuffie again.

"Didn't think you would know. But I thought I may as well ask anyway," Yuffie smiled, moving away from the ninja turtle. "You gave me an idea about fishing," she admitted with another one of her charming grins.

"Well if you catch anything, save some for me for when we meet up next!" Mike called out as Yuffie took her leave. He could see Yuffie agreeably nodding as she walked off, going her separate way. "Well that wasn't so bad," Mike muttered to himself, pleased that their meeting didn't result in violence. "Nice girl," he admitted under his breath as he started to head southeast once more.

Realising that the conversation he had with Yuffie would have cost him some time, Mike picked up the pace again, flitting past the moss-covered trunks of trees. He halted when he came to a sharp drop. The thunder of a not too far off waterfall could now be heard. Taking a break not only to catch his breath but also to mentally plot his course down the edge of the small cliff, Mike sat down, deciding to take a ration of his loaf of bread. Out of habit, the turtle reached around to fidget with his nunchucks, only to be shocked that they were no longer there. Panic struck through his heart at the thought of not having his weapon. He frantically padded his palms around his belt and shell, feeling where he couldn't physically see, only to come up with nothing. Next he checked inside his backpack just in case he absentmindedly put them there. He honestly didn't believe that he would have placed them back inside, but he was still horrified when his search proved fruitless. Mike then pondered if he had dropped them while running, and retraced just a few of his steps just to see. However, if that was true, then he knew that he would have heard them clink and klunk to the ground. No, that didn't happen. Mike never lost a nunchuck – that was something Raphael might do with a sai, but never with a nunchuck. So if he didn't simply lose them, then there was only one other explanation…

"She stole them…" Mike uttered in disbelief. He recalled how he had turned his head to look up the river. It was just a few seconds, but that was more than enough time for a ninja to pickpocket something. "That little thief!" Mike huffed in disbelief. Now completely defenceless, in that instant, Mike learnt his first lesson during the tournament; no one could be trusted.

_To be continued…_


End file.
